1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic image processing workstation, and more particularly to a workstation comprising functionally integrated multiple displays that are clustered under a single transparent energized conductive surface, which operates as an input device and a functionally integrated communication link. Each display is optimized for a particular function. The present invention maximizes the ability of the user to create, capture, manipulate, annotate, reproduce, file, transmit and otherwise communicate electronic images.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Since the development of the personal computer, computers are now used in virtually every business. As use of computers increased, systems were developed primarily to meet the specific needs of particular business sectors. For example, it is common to find, within a single business, computer applications for word processing, computer graphics, computer aided drafting, accounting, marketing data bases, project tracking, computer aided design, and corporate electronic publishing. However, while many of these applications can be accomplished with interchangeable application-specific software packages, they often utilize general purpose workstation hardware that is neither powerful enough nor application specific enough to optimize performance.
Prior art single-display workstations also are limited in their lack of display flexibility. Prior art workstations do not provide for both the document quality of high resolution black and white displays and the descriptiveness of multi-color graphics. Frequently in presenting information, the need arises to display color graphics that relate to displayed text. General purpose workstations are incapable of providing both displays on the same system.
Another limitation of prior art workstations is that they often utilize screen-displayed menu-driven software. Though screen-menu systems make operating systems easier to use, they have several characteristics that limit their performance, particularly in single display workstations where menu and work must share a single device. Screen-menu systems decrease the speed of the system due to the time required to regenerate or reprint the screen each time the menu is called or released. Further, whether keyboard or mouse controlled, menu systems require repetitious manual movements to reach the desired menu level. Moreover, in screen-menu systems, the menu is not visible to the user prior to its being called. Since the menu is hidden from the user, there is no constant visual reminder of the potential functions offered by the system.
Prior art workstations also fail to address the need for systems integration. Systems integration is necessary to provide users with a system that is both flexible in its applications, yet easy for the operator to learn and use. Of the current workstations, few offer highly efficient integration of system functions. Current workstations generally fall in one of two categories: (1) systems that are highly flexible and accommodate a variety of applications but are complex and require extensive training to use; or (2) systems that are easy to use but are rigidly designed for specific applications. Prior art workstations do not provide highly flexible systems wherein the complexity of the system is transparent to the user.
Prior art workstations also lack an integrated real-time full-duplex communication capability. Without this capability they cannot allow dispersed users to edit a single document as a simultaneous group activity. Without systems. integration, workstations also are unable to integrate voice communications into the workstation. While working at a workstation, it is often necessary to discuss the activity in which the user is engaged. However, for the voice portion of the communication, the user must use standard telephone communications, which causes many inconveniences and delays. If a hand-held telephone is used, activity at the workstation is impaired due to stopping of activity while the user speaks, using one hand to hold the telephone, or inconveniently cradling the telephone between the ear and shoulder. If a speaker-phone is used, and workstation information is being transmitted via modem, the two types of information are usually not synchronized. The lack of integration of voice and data communications capability in workstations prohibits the transmission of synchronized data and communications between workstations.
Prior art workstations also are limited in their ability to display and manipulate true graphic images. Current workstation displays are designed for ASCII-code character display. These ASCII-code based displays place characters at fixed character row and column positions and cannot arbitrarily rotate and translate characters and cannot mix these characters freely with graphics. Thus, in electronic publishing, for example, these prior art displays cannot accommodate and display kerning, ligature, and runaround type setting, to name just a few specialized type sets.
Another limitation of prior art work stations is restricted size of their field of view. The field of view of most workstation displays is limited to 23 rows for ASCII-code based systems. Since a standard hardcopy page is commonly 66 lines of text in length, the restricted field of view complicates the composition and modification of a standard page of text. Display of only 23 lines of text also increases the time and effort spent in moving from page to page within a document, as numerous keystrokes are required to view the entire document.
Inherent in current workstations is the inability to modify displayed images by allowing the user to interact directly with the displayed image. Instead, users are required to use a mouse, lightpen, or digitizing tablet. However, these input devices require the user to split his attention between the display and the input device. The user must watch a display located in one place, while manually controlling an input device located elsewhere.
Yet another limitation of current workstations is their inability to overlay and/or combine images, graphics and text. Overlaying is extremely useful in describing or modifying a displayed drawing. For one example, overlaying can be used to compare two images. For another example, when discussing a hardcopy drawing, it is often useful to graphically embellish the presentation with a colored ink pen. Without the ability to do overlays and combinations, the usefulness and power of current workstations is greatly limited in such applications.
Finally, prior art workstations generally require extensive preparation prior to presentation of material and do not readily accommodate modifications. For example, during a presentation, a need often arises for graphical annotation of the subject material. With current workstations, the modification is completed only after considerable effort in resetting parameters and re-positioning graphics characters. Since most of the current workstations do not allow for quick real-time annotation, any required annotation usually cannot be completed during the presentation period.
Prior art workstations also offer only a limited range of adjustment of display positions. Some offer upright displays that are difficult on which to write. Others offer flat displays that inhibit group viewing. Still others have limited freedom of height adjustment making them difficult to adapt to persons of differing sizes. The lack of height adjustment inhibits use of the workstation for both sitting and standing operation. As a further example of the ergonomic restrictiveness of prior art workstations, a typical configuration that is suitable for word processing often is not suitable for computer aided drafting, while a typical configuration that is suitable for computer aided drafting often is not suitable for word processing. Moreover, neither of these configurations functions effectively as a lectern apparatus for addressing an audience.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to overcome the limitations of the prior art by providing an improved system with multiple displays that maximizes the ability of the user easily to capture, create, manipulate, annotate, reproduce, file, transmit, and otherwise communicate electronic images.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide an overlay mode that enables overlays of any combination of images, graphics, or text.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a flexible image display workstation that integrates voice and data communications with advanced image processing capability.
Another objective of the present invention is a workstation which performs image editing functions including rotation, scaling up or down in size in either or both directions, cutting, pasting annotation, "white-out", "restoration" (to previous state), and other editing functions.
Yet another objective of the present invention is a workstation which performs hierarchical filing, such as file drawers containing files which contain documents which comprises pages, including filing functions such as copy, move, delete, and reorganize.
Still another objective of the present invention is a workstation which compartments image memory, either literally or virtually (by means of software) into common visual space (seen by all communication linked stations--all "conferees") and personal visual space (seen only by the individual workstation).
One more objective of the present invention is a workstation which can be controlled from beginning to end of the work session with a stylus which can serve as: a function selector, a pen, an eraser, a pointer, a mouse, and/or a keyboard.
Yet one more objective of the present invention is a workstation which provides a paperless editing facility and a paperless facsimile machine.
Finally, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a flexible image display workstation that is suitable for mounting in a mechanical structure that can be manipulated as to orientation and height to allow optimization as to user physical attributes and user intended activity.